Mike Eruzione’s calm leadership still echoes the Miracle On Ice
Mike Eruzione, captain of the 1980 United States Olympic hockey team, says the secret of that miracle was simple: enjoy the moment. The captain’s reflections on the miracle on ice hinge on staying present, blocking out negativity and keeping a clear sense of self.
How the decisive moments unfolded
As captain, Eruzione scored the winning goal against the Soviet Union in the semifinals and then led the United States to a gold medal with a win over Finland. He says that even amid the buildup to those games and in the minutes before them, he wasn’t thinking about the consequences. “I was just enjoying it, ” he said, laughing.
Miracle On Ice at the White House
It wasn’t until the team’s visit to the White House that Eruzione had what he described as his “holy s— this thing is huge” moment. That arrival, he said, finally made the scope of their achievement feel real.
Life inside Lake Placid’s "little cocoon"
The team stayed in a little village in Lake Placid, N. Y., where there were three TV stations and no social media. Eruzione called their living situation “a little cocoon. ” They weren’t aware of what was being said or written about them; each player focused on enjoying the moment and embracing what they were doing. They didn’t go downtown to bars or restaurants, he said — they spent their time together with teammates.
Ignoring critics and feeding off teammates
Looking back, Eruzione believes that cocooning was crucial to the team’s attitude throughout the games. They fed off each other’s positive energy without spending extra effort blocking out negative comments. “There’s always going to be somebody that doesn’t like something that you do or are doing, ” he said. “You’re always going to find somebody that’s critical of you. So ignore it. People can be cruel. And jealous. But we can’t control any of that anyway. Laugh it off or smile and just move on with your life. ”
What shaped Eruzione’s sense of self
Eruzione rejects the notion that his identity came from Olympic success. He said his sense of self did not come from that moment: “I was very happy with who I was before the Olympics and very happy with who I am today. ” He described himself in simple terms — not a very “deep” person — yet acknowledged a résumé stacked with experiences many dream of, and suggested that the casual way he framed those experiences helped him thrive under pressure.
Three lessons he wants others to use
Eruzione believes anyone can tap into the mindset that helped his team. The piece presents his reflections as part of a desk covering the mental side of sports and introduces the idea with the line: Here are three ways. The details that follow emphasize presence, sheltering a group from outside noise, and keeping a stable personal identity in the face of success.
Illustrations for the piece were credited to Dan Goldfarb and George Tiedemann.
It is unclear in the provided context what Eruzione or the team plans next.
